Rey Junco is a social media scholar who investigates the impact of social technologies on college students. Rey’s primary research interest is using quantitative methods to analyze the effects of social media on student psychosocial development, engagement, and learning. His research has also focused on informing best practices in using social technologies to enhance learning outcomes. For instance, Rey’s research has shown that technology, specifically social media like Facebook and Twitter, can be used in ways that improve engagement and academic performance. Rey has recently published papers on: the relationship between Facebook use, student engagement, and learning, the academic effects of multitasking, the digital divide in cell phone ownership and use, using social media to promote civil discourse on college campuses, and how Twitter can be used for academic purposes in order to increase student engagement and improve grades.

Rey earned his doctorate in education in counselor education from Penn State University. Rey also earned his master’s degree in clinical psychology from Penn State where he studied and conducted research in neuropsychology. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The University of Florida where he studied and conducted research in neuroscience. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Academic Development and Counseling and the Director of Disability Services at Lock Haven University where he teaches first year seminar courses for undergraduates and graduate courses on social media in higher education.

Rey blogs about his research at http://blog.reyjunco.com and tweets at @reyjunco.